Dwg setup - Civil/Structural

I am a new (3 yrs) engineer at a small firm and I do my own drafting. We do small projects - ~50% residential and ~50% light industrial & other. Our typical drawing set is from 2-6 pages total.

We have no dwg standards and I am trying to find my own style. Each time I go down one path I find problems with it and try another. After 3 years I have not found one system for all of my issues.

I figure larger companies have drafting standards that are time tested and make sense- perhaps i could tap you for some suggestions.

My drawings consist of plans, details, & sections. Our current way of drafting is to put text on paper space on top of the plan views. Details have text in the model space - and sections have no set way of doing things.

My problem is that if anything changes (framing plan changes) then you have to go through your paper space drawings and move/modify your text. If the scale of the detail changes then the text shows up at the wrong size. Sections are drawn at all different scales depending on the project. I have major issues keeping a consistent text size and NOT wasting time changing text styles. (we have text and dimension styles set up for each scale).

I am so sick of wasting my time with font sizes and text - there has got to be a better way to set up drawings that eliminates the back and forth and potential mistakes of my system described above.

Does anyone have any suggestions on a system I can use to set up drawings.

 

Here, we do very little drawing in paper space, try to keep it all in model
space. I made drawing templates for each scale factor and sheet size.
These templates have all the correct text, dimension, ltscale etc...setup
for the drawing scale factor. So all a user has to do when starting a new
drawing is use the correct template and start drawing. Also, I added a pull
down menu in AutoCAD which has all our standard layers so a user can select
the layer (s).

I would suggest your company develop some basic CD standards, but unless
someone has the authority to enforce compliance - GOOD LUCK!

do small projects - ~50% residential and ~50% light industrial & other. Our
typical drawing set is from 2-6 pages total.

I go down one path I find problems with it and try another. After 3 years I
have not found one system for all of my issues.

make sense- perhaps i could tap you for some suggestions.

drafting is to put text on paper space on top of the plan views. Details
have text in the model space - and sections have no set way of doing things.

have to go through your paper space drawings and move/modify your text. If
the scale of the detail changes then the text shows up at the wrong size.
Sections are drawn at all different scales depending on the project. I have
major issues keeping a consistent text size and NOT wasting time changing
text styles. (we have text and dimension styles set up for each scale).

to be a better way to set up drawings that eliminates the back and forth and
potential mistakes of my system described above.

 

We place ALL annotation in PS, even back when we were doing 2D stuff, much of it went into PS. But that aside:

First, standardize the scale of your plans sections and details to minimize the number used. We set Civil site plans at 1'=10', 1"=20', or 1"=40', structural plans and full sections are either 1/8", 1/4" or 3/8" = 1'-0", details are 1"=1'-0" with a few at 1 1/2"=1'-0"

Use macros or lisp to automate the setup for each scale you're going to need, so when you change scales you just hit a button to set all style and layers.

Remember the MATCHPROP function.

And as someone already pointed out, wait to annotate until your reasonably confident the scale won't change.

With experience you will be able to look at a concept and know the scales that will be needed.

 

Good topic to bring up - layer names. This is also something i have not settled on. Coming up with a good layer naming scheme is like setting up your variable scheme - how important!

What kind of work do you do? What is your theory on layer names? Does your entire company use the same layer names or is it up to the draftsman?

 

GREAT - thank you for your standard scales. I can work with three options for both plans and sections and set all my details to one scale. I have been modifying my detail scales to fit my layout - I'm gathering this is incorrect.

ALL of your details are at 1" (except for those at 1 1/2")? You NEVER have a reason to change the scale of your detail? If your answer is NO then i shouldn't ever have a reason either and i'll just set detail to a standard scale.

Aren't there different scales for steel v. wood details? Is there an industry standard dependent upon the building material or industry?

I will look into creating a macro or LISP. I am assuming you run the macro for 1" scale if the next detail you're going to draw is at that scale and the text/dim scales change accordingly?

What is your layer scheme - is it scale dependent?

yes - i am waiting to have that experience under my belt. I will feel truly accomplished when my drawings start looking professional and well put together. Unfortunately experience is the slowest thing to attain!

(Great username - i got a great laugh at this. Thanks for brightening up my rather drab day! Is your name Dave?

 

This document might help in your quest to develop CAD standards for your
company,


http://tsc.wes.army.mil/Products/standards/aec/toc-index204.asp

 

<< I have been modifying my detail scales to fit my layout - I'm gathering this is incorrect. >>

Not sure what you mean by "fit your layout", if you mean shrink it to get it in the available space, then no it's not wrong, just a different method than mine. Our viewpoint is paper is cheap. Rather than spend anytime re-scaling a detail, just pop another layout, change a sheet number and move on. But that's us. Some folks still choke when you talk about adding a sheet.


<<ALL of your details are at 1" (except for those at 1 1/2")? You NEVER have a reason to change the scale of your detail? If your answer is NO then i shouldn't ever have a reason either and i'll just set detail to a standard scale. >>

Haven't had a reason in a long time, not since we moved nearly all details to 1"=1'-0" anyway.


<<Aren't there different scales for steel v. wood details? >>

Not for us. ;-)


<<Is there an industry standard dependent upon the building material or industry? >>

There may be, but we decided long ago that we would do what we felt was best for our needs, not necessarily to comply with an out-dated or arbitrary standard.


<<I will look into creating a macro or LISP. I am assuming you run the macro for 1" scale if the next detail you're going to draw is at that scale and the text/dim scales change accordingly?>>

I posted an old routine somewhere on these boards recently that will give a hint how we set up scales, styles and layers, when we annotated in MS. It's called DSC, do a search for c:dsc.

<<What is your layer scheme - is it scale dependent? >>

Used to be, for annotation, anyway. But now that we annotate everything in PS theres no need.


<<Great username >>

Thanks, been using it for a lotta years.

 

Found it here.

http://discussion.autodesk.com/thread.jspa?messageID=3998081

 

Thanks - i will review this document.

 

Hi -

Office standards are often discussed in the CAD Managers group.
You might want to do a search in that group using the word
"standards" for past messages.

In addition to any replies you might receive or have already
received, you may find more information or responses by posting
future office procedure related questions in the following
discussion group:

Web browser:
http://discussion.autodesk.com/forum.jspa?forumID=112
Newsreader: news://discussion.autodesk.com/pn.cadmanager

 

We have a company wide layer naming scheme. We have it broken-down into
groups such as, text dimensions, concrete and steel (we do structural
design). Even through we have a set system. each group allows the user to
add any special layers needed along as it meets our basic layer naming
scheme.

I believe in keeping it simple, with the names easy to understand. I have
worked at places which use the so-called industrial layer naming standards
etc., never found that the set standards made any since. I like to keep it
simple and with a glance at the layer name you know what is means.

settled on. Coming up with a good layer naming scheme is like setting up
your variable scheme - how important!

your entire company use the same layer names or is it up to the draftsman?

 

All of the other posts contain good advice, and here's my 2 cents for the pot:

So long as everything is drawn at 1:1 and nothing is getting scaled up in model space, you should be fine. When things start getting drawn at different scales things can get very ugly rather quickly.

I'm of the school that says all annotation is done in the model and paper space is for sheet boarders and printing. But this can lead to some tricky layer management and cumbersome files with regard to base plans (not necessarily detail sheets), but nothing major.

Good luck, and happy drafting!

 

<<I'm of the school that says all annotation is done in the model and paper space is for sheet boarders and printing. But this can lead to some tricky layer management and cumbersome files with regard to base plans (not necessarily detail sheets), but nothing major. >>

Nothing major in 2D, but 3D it becomes major very fast.

 

I agree with you there. (Un)fortunately for me, I find myself in a situation where an employer pays for ADT but mandates that we don't draw with anything in 3D. Why pay the money for ADT if you want pencil drafting? I have no idea, but my name isn't on the door, and it must make sense to someone, or at least I'd hope it would.